gates



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet'l.

I. H. GATES,

- CIRCULAR SPRING BEARD NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE. No. 536,201. PatentedMar. 26, 1895-.

' (No Model.) 2 SheetsSl1ee t-2.

F. H. GATES. I GIROULAB SPRING BEARD NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 536,201. Patented Mmzes, 1895.

' E V E:

gimmmgul r UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

FRANK H. GATES, or WARE, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIeNoR, To THE OTIS ooM PANY,OF SAME PLACE.

CIRCULAR SPRING BEARD-NEEDLE KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,201, dated March26, 1895.

' Application filed November 5, 1894:- Serial No. 527,855. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK H. GATES, of Ware, in the county of Hampshireand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements-in Circular Spring- Beard-Needle Knitting-Machines; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents somuch of a knitting machine as is necessary to illustrate my improvementsapplied thereto. Fig. 2 represents, upon an enlarged scale, a side viewof my improvedpresser device herein described, and part of the knittinghead of the machine, looking in the direction of the arrow, in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a central, vertical section through the parts shown in Fig. 1,taken at the point indicated by line a a, in said Fig.1. Figs.-

4: and 5 represent, upon a still larger scale, plan views of parts ofthe presser plates and knitting head with the plain and notched presserplates in the positions that they occupy in relation to the needles, inproducing fancy and plain knitting, respectively, as will be hereinaftermore fully explained. Figs. 6 and 7 represent bottom and top plan views,respectively, of parts of my improved presser device, also hereinaftermore fully described, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged, vertical, longitudin'alsection, taken on line b, Fig. 1.

My invention relates to machines for knitting fancy fabrics, and' moreparticularly to an adjustable automatic presser device for applying avariable pressure upon the needles to produce different designs in theoperation of knitting said fabrics as will be hereinafter more fully setforth.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains tobetter understand the nature and purpose thereof, I will now proceed todescribe it more in detail.

In the drawings, A represents the rotary head of a circular spring-beardknitting machine with all the operative attachments removed exceptmyaforesaid automatic presser device. Said rotary head is provided withthe usual circular series of spring-beardneedles B with which thepressers' G and D engage in the operation ofthe machine. The improvedmechanism combined with said pressers for supporting and operating thesame constitutes my aforesaid invention.

The several parts composing said mechanism are constructed and arrangedto operate as follows: The pressers G, D areas usual, made in the formof circular disks and are arranged horizontally one on top of theother,- the upper one 0 having a smooth periphery, and the lower one D,a notched or toothed periphery. They are fitted to turn on the studs Cand D respectively, which are arranged vertically and in alignment.studs are adjustably secured to the outer ends of their supports,thestudG to a movable, angle-plate E fitted to slide longitudinally 1; )Wardand from the needles B, and the studs D to a stationary plate F,bothplates E and F being attached by means of bolts G G to the central,vertical, swivel-frame H, which is fitted to turn in the stationarystand I and. held after adjustment by the set screw 1.

Theangle-plate E is permitted to slide longitudinally as aforesaid byforming oblong openings or slots E. E, therein (see Fig. 6) where thebolts G, G pass through the same; and the studs 0, D, are adj ustablyfastened to the movable angle-plate E, and stationary plate F, byforming threads on the outer ends. of the studs; then passing saidthreaded ends through oblong openings orslots in the supporting platesand turning set-nuts J, J over the threaded ends against the outer sidesof the supporting plates as is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. As thesame result may be accomplished in various other ways, I do not limitmyself to the method herein described and shown. I

The bottom or notched presser D turns upon the stud D with the bottom ofits hub D resting for support on the top of the plate F, and the upperor plain presser O is supported by a lateral flange or head 0 on thelower, end of the stud C as is also shown in Fig. 3. I

The bottom presser, D, is designedto force part of the needles B forwardout of line as is shown in Fig. 4., and the upper presser O tointermittently force forward the intermediate needles B and said needlesB' into curved Both line as is shown in Fig. 5, to produce fancy andplain stitching in the operation of knitting;--fancy stitching beingproduced when said needles B are pushed forward out of line as shown inFig. 4, and plain stitching when all the needles are forced into acurved line as shown in said Fig. 5, the design required to be producedin the fabric being obtained by the intermittent changes from one to theother, as in other machines of this class. Said operation of thepressers and the result there by produced, it will be understood, iscommon to all machines of this class employed for knitting fancyfabrics, the only difierence in the action of the pressers on theneedles in my device from other devices,being, that the pressure comingnear the bottoms of the beards, close said beards; while in otherdevices in which the pressers strike the needles atthe top, said beardsare opened. After having adjusted the lower presser, D, to the rightposition for holding the needles as required, by loosening its holdingnut J, it is fastened rigidly in said position. The upper presser, C, ismoved forward and back with short, intermittent movements of varyingduration, to con form to the design desired to be produced, by means ofthe pattern-wheel, K, fitted-to turn on the stationary stand I,-throughthe series of removable pins, L, the vertical, adjustable bearing-screwM, and lever N, pivoted at N, to swivel-frame I-I,-said screw M, beingfitted to turn in the outer end of lever N, and its foot, M, adapted .torest on the heads, L, of pins L, and the opposite end of leverNextending up through avertical opening in plate F, and bearing on theplate E. In this instance it is arranged to pass up through an openinginsaid plate E, and bears on its vertical portion E.

A constant back pressure is imparted to force plate E, and itsattachments, back, when the forward pressure of the lever N is released,by means of a suitable spring connecting said plate E or its attachmentswith some stationary part. In this instance, I have shown said result asbeing accomplished by means of a spiral spring 0,.(see Figs. 3 and S)fitted in a recess or slot formed in stationary plate F,one end of whichbears against said plate, and the other end against apin or projection Eon the under side of plate E, (see Figs. 6 and 8) which extends downinto the aforesaid slot in plate F, when the parts are fitted togetherfor operation.

The pattern-wheel K, is provided with the usual notches or teeth, K,upon its periphery, and with the circular series of holes K for thereception of removable pins L. Said wheel is, in practice, moved onenotch forward at each revolution of the rotary-head A, by means of acam, P, on said head,through the lever, Q, pivoted at Q to the base ofstand I, and spring-pawl R, mounted on the outer end of said lever Q,and adapted to engage with the aforesaid notches or teeth, K, onpattern-wheel K. It is therefore obvious from the foregoing description,that as the patternwheel is turned intermittently in the above manner,when the heads of pins L come in contact with the foot M of screw M, theplate E, and in consequence, the plain presser C, is moved toward theneedles B, by the lever N, as is indicated by full lines in Figs. 2 and3; and when said foot passes by the pin-heads and comes to a space inthe pattern-wheel where the pins are omitted, the screw, M, and outerend of lever N drop down by force of gravity; thus causing the inner endof said lever to bear backward upon the plate E, and in connection withthe spring 0, forces said plate E and presser C away from the needles,as is shown in Fig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

In practice, the weight of lever N, and its screw M is sufficient toforce back the plate E and its presser while the parts are well oiledand work smoothly, but it is preferable to use a spring to insure thepositive action thereof, as described. Said spring, therefore, not beingan absolutely essential element to the construction, I reserve the rightto use the same or not, as desired.

The pin-heads, L are preferably made circular in cross-section, with oneside cutaway to fit against the vertical shoulder K on the pattern-wheelK, to prevent said pins from turning. They are also preferably beveledat one side of their top surfaces, where the foot M of screw M comes incontact therewith, as shown in the drawings, to facilitate said footpassing up onto the tops thereof, as the pattern-wheel K is rotated inthe operation of knitting. Said pattern-wheel may be held from turningtoo freely by interposing a thin disk S between the top surface thereof,and a holding-nut 'I, fitted over the same.

The length of the forward movements of the plate E and its presser C,may be regulated as desired, by turning the screw M up or down, in theouter end of the lever N to lengthen or shorten the movements of saidlever N, as circumstances may require; and the backward movements of1ever.N may also be controlled by means of a bar or rod U extendingtransversely over the plate E from a plate U secured to the side ofswivel-frame H, which may be adjusted toward or from the inner end ofsaid lever N,--suitable slots being formed therein where its fasteningscrews pass through to fasten it in position.

It will be observed, from the foregoing description, that my improvedmechanism is very simple in construction and compactly arranged. It isalso strong, durable, and not easily impaired by use.

I am aware that similar devices have been patented and are in use, forthe same purpose, and I, therefore, limit my invention to substantiallythe construction herein set forth and shown.

, Having described said invention, what I claim therein as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

i. In a knitting machine of the class herein named, the combination ofthe rotary head A and needles B, mounted in said rotary head, with'thestationary stand I, the swivel-frame I H, mounted in said stand, meansfor holding said frame from turning in the stand; the rotary notchedpresser D, mounted on the outer end of said swivel-frame; angle-plate E,fitted to slide longitudinally on the swivelframe H; the rotary plainpresser O, mounted on the outer end of said plate E, means for impartinplate E; the lever N, pivoted to said swivel support, and engaging atits inner end with said angle-plate; the screw M, mounted in the outerend of said lever N,and whose foot is adapted to rest upon and travelover the rotary pattern-wheel K, and its pins L; said pattern-wheelfitted to turn on stand I 3 means for turning said pattern-wheelintermittently by connection with the head A; means for impartingfriction to said wheel to prevent its turning too far, and pins L fittedin suitable openings in the pattern-wheel, and having one'side cut awayto prevent their turning in their openings, substantially as set forthand shown.

2. In a knitting machine of the class herein named, the combination ofrotary head A, needles B the stationary'support and rotary, notchedpresser D,the needles being mounted in said head A and the presser D onsaid stationary support, with the movable plate E and rotary, plainpresser O,-said plate E being fitted to slide longitudinally on saidstationary support, and presser C mounted on plate E; lever N, pivotedto the stationary support and engaging at its inner end with said plateE; the rotary, pattern wheel a constant back pressure against K; itspins L; the screw M, mounted in the outer end of said lever N, and whosefoot is adapted to rest upon and travel over said rotary pattern wheel Kand its pins L, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a knitting machine of the class herein named, the combination ofrotary head-A, and needles B, mounted in said rotary head, with a rotaryneedle-presser, mounted on the end of a movable plate fitted to slidelongitudinally on a suitable stationary support; said longitudinallyoperating plate, and stapivoted near its inner end to said stationarysupport, and adaptedto engage at its inner end with the slide-plate topush said plate forward when the outer end of the lever is raised, andto draw back the plate in the opposite direction when said outer end ofthe lever is released and allowed to drop by force of gravity; avertical screw, mounted in the outer end of said pivoted lever, andadapted to rest at its bottom end on therotary pattern wheel andits-pins, and said wheel and pins, substantially as and for the purposeset forth. 4. In a knitting-machine of the class herein named, thecombination of the rotary patternwheel, having a circular series ofvertical holes therein, and a vertical shoulder on its upper sidea shortdistance from said holes toward the center of the pattern-wheel, withpins whose heads are made of circular form in cross-section, with oneside cut away to fit said vertical shoulder, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

, FRANK H. GATES. Witnesses:

W. N. STEELE, E. B. NASH.

tionary support; a vertically operating lever

